In plain English, the ruling in Ingram established that VBA medical examiners cannot consider how much the symptoms of a Veteran’s disabilities were reduced or eliminated by use of prescription medications in order to determine the disability’s severity (rating). The Ingram decision of course is how it should be, in my opinion as both a Veteran with service-connected disabilities, and as your Fannin County Veteran Services Officer. It should go without saying that reducing or eliminating the “symptoms” of a disability, in no way diminishes the actual severity of a disability.

The enormous outcry and pushback from Veterans, Veteran Service Organizations, and Veteran Advocacy groups have caused the VA to pump-the-brakes on their interim decision. Additionally, members of Congress have pressed the Department of Veterans Affairs to officially rescind this controversial new rule and even VA Secretary Doug Collins has now pledged that the rule “will not be enforced at any time in the future.”

Collins said February 19th, 2026 on the social media platform X that the VA, “is halting the enforcement of the interim final rule,” which took effect February 17th, the same day the rule was announced in the Federal Register (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/17/2026-03068/evaluative-rating-impact-of-medication). So, for those who were rightfully outraged by the VA’s attempt to derail the CAVC’s common sense decision in Ingram, know this proposed nonsense has been addressed and is no longer under consideration.

Comments for this proposal can and should still be made at: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/VA-2026-VBA-0067-0001.

As always, many thanks to our Veterans and Veteran Families for their service and sacrifice. Paul Chandler, Fannin County Services Officer.